Frisco ISD is delaying the opening of its 12th high school and has proposed paying employees more money as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.

If approved June 8, the stipend would recognize employees for their efforts during the school closures and compensate them for the use of personal equipment while working remotely. It would be equal to 1.5% of base wages for a total cost of approximately $5.75 million, according to a news release.

The district is also proposing a $1,000 raise for teachers in 2020-21 and a 1.5% of midpoint raise for all other staff. A public hearing and adoption of the budget is set for June 22.

The board of trustees agreed Monday to delay the new three-story high school campus, which was planned to open in 2022 adjacent to the future PGA headquarters and golf courses, northeast of Teel Parkway and Dakotah Road.

Frisco ISD will “monitor enrollment trends before committing to new projects which also come with significant staffing costs,” according to a news release. It expects its UIL classification to remain at 5A while the project is delayed.

The district said it will move forward with the construction of its 11th high school, Emerson, which is set to open in 2021 in west McKinney,

The board also suspended its agreement with the contractor who was hired to work on the project. Design costs and other construction fees already incurred will go toward the project when it resumes.

Reese Oxner. Reese is a freelancer for the Arlington Matters newsletter. He graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in May 2020 with a degree in Communication Technology. He was the editor in chief of The Shorthorn, UTA’s student-run newspaper. He also really likes Korean BBQ.